Movie Review: Taxi

Queen Latifah leaves the beauty shop and hits the streets in a tricked out cab that leaves the Fast and Furious rides in the dust.

Belle (Queen Latifah) is one mean bike messenger. She hauls butt all over New York in record time, biking through buildings and leaping across bridges to set a record on her last day. She's quitting the messenger biz and getting her cabbie license. She's been a Nascar fan since babyhood and has tricked out her Ford Crown Victoria taxi with all that stuff they had on the Fast and Furious cars. Being not too patient with Belle's dedication to the cabbie and racecar life is hot boyfriend (Henry Simmons) who can't even get her to come home on time for him to propose.

Colliding with Belle is Detective Washburn (Jimmy Fallon), a cop whose inability to drive without hitting something has cost him his driver's license, taken away by his hot lieutenant (Jennifer Esposito). Busted down in rank and walking the beat, Washburn hears about a bank robbery in progress and decides to take a cab--Belle's cab--to the scene of the crime. Of course, although Belle is the hottest and fastest driver in town, the all-girl robbers get away and Belle's cab is seized as evidence. The two decide to team up to solve the case and get Belle's cab back. Of course, the crooks are all super-models led by Leo DiCaprio's galpal Gisele Bundchen, who can't act but has very long legs. Eventually, of course, the duo gets their "man" uh model and Belle gets her guy as well as a chance on the Nascar circuit.

Don't know why a lot of Saturday Night Live stars give it all up to try movies..many of which don't do too well. In Taxi, the supermodels are just there to walk around in really short skirts and bend over.. Is it just me or are they just too anorexic to look sexy? Direction, except in the action/chase sequences, which are kinda of creative and fun to watch, is way slow. Every joke is milked until it dies and Jimmy Fallon is just allowed to go off on a riff until he runs out of steam while Latifah plays annoyed straightman..woman. Ann Margret is funny as Washburn's alcoholic mom but her job is to play on one note too long.

If you are a big Latifah or Jimmy Fallon fan, or you just like fast cars, you will no doubt still get a kick out of this comedy/actioner. Otherwise, take the bus and miss this taxi.

For a few good chases and some humor 2.5 out of 5 stars

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.